By  the A.M. Costa Rica staff

With the commemoration of the National Day of Persons with Disabilities, Law No.9822 entitled “Recognition and Promotion of the Costa Rican Sign Language” was signed on Friday, as a cultural and linguistic heritage of the deaf community.

The goal of the law is to recognize and promote the teaching and learning of Sign Language, known as LESCO in Costa Rica, as a language of deaf people, as well as the use of means of support for communication.

"Today more than ever, it is time to build a more inclusive, accessible country, where it will accommodate everyone," said President Carlos Alvarado.

According to the National Council of People with Disabilities, this law establishes that educational institutions must have the necessary resources to offer bilingual educational models, as well as the hiring of professionals in sign language, for teaching and learning in this way of communication. They must also open the opportunity to learn not only to deaf students but to hearing students.

The law qualifies as a discriminatory act to prevent deaf people from receiving information or communicating in sign language or in any other form of communication that they require, as well as any treatment, measure or act that damages their dignity or rights.

In addition, the law defines characteristics regarding the training of interpreters. Plus the law points out to the State the obligation to promote and support, with the necessary resources, public and private institutions in careers related to the training of interpreters of the Costa Rican sign language, throughout the country.

The law establishes that people can graduate in this specialty from the National Institute of Learning, or from public and private institutes or universities, after fulfilling duly accredited academic requirements, knowledge of deaf culture, ethical training, suitability and linguistic solvency.

In addition, the law establishes the following dates of celebration related to sign language:

• July 19, the Costa Rican Sign Language Day.

• September 21, the Community Day of Deaf People of Costa Rica.

• September 30, the Day of the Costa Rican Sign Language Translator and Interpreter

This is the second declaration of a specific date as national heritage during this month. On May 19, President Alvarado signed the law that marks December 1 as the Army's Abolition Day.

The law allows the first of December to be a holiday starting this year to replace October 12, which commemorated the Meeting of Cultures Day, previously known as the day of the discovery of the American continent.

Since 1949 a National Constituent Assembly authorized the elimination of the Army in the Constitution, this law was presented by then President José María Figueres Ferrer. Since then, the country is defined as not having an army.



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